


everything but this

by harajukucrepes



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 07:17:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5530718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harajukucrepes/pseuds/harajukucrepes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It will all come down to this one day, if it ever reaches him: </p>
<p>That Akashi Seijuurou can't be everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	everything but this

**Author's Note:**

> secret santa gift for [arzenpai](http://arzenpai.tumblr.com/).
> 
> This work is a bit fragmented, timeline jumping all over the place, hopefully it's not too confusing.

*

 

 

 

everything but this

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

It will all come down to this one day, if it ever reaches him:

 

That Akashi Seijuurou can't be everything.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Kuroko knows better than anyone that more than anything, achievement is a part of enjoyment. There will be things to gain from losses, of course, but there's no room for arguments when it comes what victory is.

 

“You'll know when time comes, Kuroko. You're with us now.”

 

_Victory is Absolute._

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

For a lot of reasons, Kagami should have reminded him of Aomine—the built, the passion, the single-mindedness, the straightforwardness. But instead, it reminds him of Akashi.

 

The night after he first challenged Kagami on the street court, he wrote a letter to Akashi.

 

_He has your hair colour, Akashi-kun. That was the first thing I noticed. He's also as thirsty as you for victories, can you believe that he said he will defeat us Teiko gang?_

 

_I can't wait to see you two meet._

 

For some reason, he isn't really sure what he should expect if they ever would.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Sometimes during break, Furihata, Fukuda and Kawahara ask him about the Generation of Miracles. They weren't that interested before, but Kise's appearance changed a lot of things, especially about how the entire Seirin team thinks about them.

 

“You know, I've only kind of sort of heard of them before, but to think that they actually this imposing in person..”

 

“They are the real deal, and you could tell from the way just the way...they appear...or exist...some kind or other..”

 

“If we were to face them in our matches...”

 

Kuroko can't help stifling some form of laughter (while reminding them that he's still nearby).

 

“Kise-kun is just a child though, you will see that side of him sooner or later.”

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

There are things about Akashi that reminds Kuroko of himself: the height (which he assumes should never be a thing to be mentioned anywhere), the undermined power of their abilities (at least he assumes this is what should become of his brand of passes)—even when he looks at his own reflection it seems like they even look a bit alike.

 

This might be the reason why Akashi became his favourite person to watch, other than just the fact that Akashi is just too fascinating as a person to not be entranced by.

 

The way he walks: sometimes relaxed, sometimes focused. The way he watches his opponents in games: sometimes a little predatory, sometimes a little speculative. The way he changes his expressions around different people: sometimes candid, sometimes careful, but mostly tightly guarded.

 

Perhaps Akashi is fascinating because he's so... _visible_. Because he's so out in the open that he has to build a wall, once a while opening just a tiny bit to allow people to think that he's not exactly a master of secrets. Just a boy who has been such a subject of scrutiny that he has morphed into whatever people want him to be.

 

He's exactly the thing Kuroko isn't.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Midorima is far easier to explain. It doesn't help that there's also the sight of Takao and the cart. Sometimes Kuroko feels a little bad for the Shuutoku team.

 

“It must be difficult for Shuutoku,” he says to Takao. There had been times Kuroko wondered if Midorima would be alright in his new team without someone like Akashi for him, but Takao has just effectively dispelled all the worries.

 

“Well, know him enough and you start feeling like being his friend is about having to explain him to other people,” Takao says in between headscratches and chuckles.

 

Kuroko thinks that Takao might just have explained Midorima in the best way possible.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Aomine says that he should stop practising at night now that he's been made a regular. Aomine asks him to hang around with him more, maybe to see Mai-chan's fansigning events or stuff. Hey Tetsu, even if you don't like Mai-chan, I can introduce you to other girls? Maybe you'd like Erika-chan, she can be kinda demure, suits you—unless you like Satsuki??? Don't tell me you actually like Satsuki??

 

Do you really like Satsuki?

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Somewhat, inexplicably, Kuroko takes up the habit to watch Kagami. For some reason, he's as fascinating as Akashi, though half of it might be coming from him growing in America.

 

For one, he doesn't have a sense of public decency—not in a perverted, _chikan_ way, but in a way that's not what the Japanese society would think as polite. He eats like a savage, walks like a gladiator, glares at people like they just stepped on his cat (probably, not sure how much he hates animals that aren't dogs).

 

Sometimes Kuroko feels like Kagami is like Akashi if he's allowed some space to express himself.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Did you hear what they have started saying about me, Tetsuya? How I'm starting to feel like I'm a little strange, not myself—a little _unhinged_?

 

What do you think, Tetsuya?

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Some days, he knows that there is a need to tell Seirin about Aomine, because nobody has found a way to stop him. Not when they were still in Teiko, and not even after he had joined Touou.

 

Some days, he doesn't want to talk about Aomine, because when it comes to Aomine, there's so much to talk about but nothing to tell.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

“You'll be my greatest achievement,” Akashi says, his eyes staring straight into Kuroko's and back against the glorious display of throphies.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

The more he thinks about it, the less Kagami resembles either Akashi or Aomine, and the reason his hair is that shade of red is probably because he isn't allowed to forget Akashi.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Deep down, he knows that Murasakibara likes him in his own strange ways. Like the way a kid likes a puppy. Like the way a big puppy likes a small puppy. Like the way an adult dog likes a tiny puppy. Like anything bigger likes anything small.

 

It's annoying sometimes.

 

“He's a bigger child than Kise-kun,” he concludes to an audience that comprises most of Seirin, wondering if they are starting to doubting Teiko's educational policies because of all the manchildren it managed to cultivate.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

It will come down to this one day, Kuroko thinks as he draws the words on Seirin's field (sneaking in after school hours with all the equipment proved to be so much easier than he thought...like everything else he had to do that involved human inspection), one word by one word.

 

They, all the Seirin players: the captain and his precise shoots; the coach and her efforts in playing with the big boys in the game; Koganei-sempai and his humbleness; Mitobe-sempai and the confidence he inspires with his silence; Izuki-sempai and the trust he inspires in spite of all the noise he gathers; Furihata and Fukuda and Kawahara and their hesitance; and lastly, Kagami and that glory-seeking inclination of his.

 

“You—you guys, will be my greatest achievement.”

 

  
  


*

 

 

 

“I'm not like you,” Kuroko says to Akashi, and he means it.

 

Victory is _not_ absolute. Victory is a precursor. Victory is fuel. Victory is a ball-shaped probability. Victory is knowing you can win and knowing you that might not. Victory is not shaping your win, victory is letting the game run its own course.

 

Victory is not disrespect of the loser.

 

Victory is..victory is _not_ this.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

When morning comes, and the entire Seirin High School sees the field, Kuroko suddenly knows that he has been reborn.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Tell me, Akashi-kun, who are you?

 

That part of you that calls me “Tetsuya”, that part of you that craves domination, who are you?

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

But evening arives and Kuroko is left alone in the street basketball court, trying yet another futile attempt to shoot.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Tell me, Tetsuya.

 

Who do you want me to be?

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

It will all come down to this one day, when Kuroko realises it.

 

Akashi is the reason why he is the way he is now. Akashi is almost certainly, pretty unequivocably—

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

Everything—

 

 

—but _this_.

 

 

 

*

 


End file.
